Daewoo K2C
- Category
- Assault Rifle
- Barrel
- 310 mm
- Weight, empty
- 3.30 kg
- Introduced
- 2012
About
What it is, and why it matters
The Daewoo K2C is a compact carbine derivative of the South Korean K2 assault rifle, chambered in 5.56x45mm NATO and produced by SNT Motiv (formerly Daewoo Precision Industries). Introduced around 2012 as an export and special-operations oriented variant, the K2C shortens the original K2's 465mm barrel to roughly 310mm and replaces the fixed/folding furniture with a side-folding M4-style telescoping stock. A quad Picatinny rail handguard and a flat-top upper receiver rail allow mounting of optics, lasers, lights and vertical grips, modernizing the platform for close-quarters and modular use. It retains the K2's signature long-stroke gas-piston operation and rotating bolt, giving it the reliability of an AK-pattern gas system in a lightweight Western-ergonomics package. The K2C should not be confused with the later K2C1, which is a full-length rail-equipped modernization of the standard-issue K2 rather than a short carbine.
The K2C is the carbine and rail-equipped derivative of the K2, South Korea's first indigenous assault rifle. Where the original K2 was built for line infantry, the K2C was shortened and fitted with Picatinny rails and a collapsing M4-style stock to serve special forces and the export market, keeping the K2's distinctive long-stroke gas piston that borrows the ruggedness of the AK-47. It is frequently confused with the later K2C1, a full-length modernization of the standard K2 rather than a short carbine.
Sources commonly cite a 310mm barrel, 880mm overall length extended, 790mm with the stock retracted and 630mm with the stock folded, and an unloaded weight of about 3.3kg. The K2C uses the same long-stroke gas piston as the parent K2, a system frequently described as a hybrid of AK-47 and AR-18 designs. The K2C is distinct from the K2C1 modernized rifle, a point frequently confused in secondary sources.
Specification
Everything measured
IdentityWhat it is, who built it and when.
- Manufacturer
- S&T Motiv (formerly Daewoo Precision Industries)
- Category
- Assault Rifle
- Country
- South Korea
- Status
- In production
- Produced
- 2012
- Variant of
- Carbine
DimensionsAs issued, without a magazine or an optic.
- Barrel
- 310 mm
- Overall length
- 880 mm
- Weight, empty
- 3.30 kg
- Weight, loaded
- 3.90 kg
ActionHow it cycles, what trips it, and what feeds it.
- Action
- Gas operated long stroke
- Firing mechanism
- Hammer fired
- Trigger
- Single stage
- Capacity
- 30
- Magazine
- Detachable box
MaterialsEach swatch is the material itself, not a colour chosen to stand for it.
- Frame
- Aluminum alloy
- Barrel
- Steel
- Stock
- Polymer
- Finish
- Phosphate
BallisticsFrom the service cartridge, not a handload.
- Muzzle velocity
- 870 m/s
- Muzzle energy
- 1514 J
- Effective range
- 500 m
- Rate of fire
- 800 rpm
Trajectory
What the round does downrange
Solved from the muzzle figures and the bullet. The dashed rule is the effective range on the record, and the crosses are the steps the solver returned.
Features
What it has
What the record lists as fitted, drawn from the catalogue.
Telescoping stock
Side folding stock
Picatinny rail
Quad rail handguard
Select fire
Chrome lined barrel
Rotating bolt
Gas regulator
Stanag compatible magazines
Standing
How it compares
Each figure against the firearms of the same type and cartridge that record it, or of the same type where that cartridge has too few. Positions are read to the nearest tenth.
| Measurement | This firearm | Median | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Empty weightAmong 158 5.56x45mm NATO assault rifles | 3.30 kg | 3.60 kg | Lighter than about 70% |
| Overall lengthAmong 156 5.56x45mm NATO assault rifles | 880 mm | 920 mm | Shorter than about 60% |
| Barrel lengthAmong 157 5.56x45mm NATO assault rifles | 310 mm | 449 mm | Shorter than about 90% |
| Magazine capacityAmong 158 5.56x45mm NATO assault rifles | 30 | 30 | Near the median |
Answers
Questions about the Daewoo K2C
How much does the Daewoo K2C weigh?
The Daewoo K2C weighs 3.30 kg (7.28 lb) empty and 3.90 kg (8.60 lb) loaded.
What caliber is the Daewoo K2C?
The Daewoo K2C is chambered in 5.56x45mm NATO.
How many rounds does the Daewoo K2C hold?
The Daewoo K2C holds 30 rounds, fed from a detachable box magazine.
How long is the Daewoo K2C?
The Daewoo K2C is 880 mm (34.6 in) long overall, with a 310 mm (12.2 in) barrel.
Who makes the Daewoo K2C?
The Daewoo K2C is made by S&T Motiv (formerly Daewoo Precision Industries) (South Korea). It was designed by Agency for Defense Development (ADD).
When was the Daewoo K2C introduced?
The Daewoo K2C was introduced in 2012.
How does the Daewoo K2C operate?
The Daewoo K2C uses a gas operated long stroke action, and its firing mechanism is hammer fired.
Compatibility
Which parts fit this firearm
Studio
Every part that mounts on this, resolved
Not a list the maker typed out: the answer comes from the mounts this firearm exposes and the interface each part needs, so it stays right when either one changes.
- Every part that mounts on any firearm in the catalogue
- Interface standards, platforms and fit overrides
- The same answers through the API and the MCP server
Requires a signed-in GunSpec account on the Studio plan. The answer is computed per part, so it is not part of the public record.
Provenance
What the record holds
Every figure above was taken from one of these pages. The confidence reflects how much of the record came from a page a claim can be checked against.
In service
- Republic of Korea Army Special Warfare Command
- South Korea
- Armed Forces of the Philippines
- Philippines
Provenance
Confidence in this record
72%
Stockists
Where to buy
Offers link straight to the shop. GunSpec never takes the order.
No shop has listed this firearm yet
Stock and prices come from the shops themselves. If you sell this firearm, you can list it and it appears here.
List a firearmMCP
Ask an assistant about it
The same record, reached the way a person asks for it rather than the way a program does.
Ask GunSpec
Works with
Point an MCP client at GunSpec and it answers from the catalogue rather than from memory. A free key covers the read tools.
API
The call that returns this record
The same fields, in the same units, from the same endpoint the page reads.
curl --request GET \ --url 'https://api.gunspec.io/v1/firearms/k2c' \ --header 'X-API-Key: your_key'{ "id": "k2c", "name": "Daewoo K2C", "manufacturer": { "id": "snt-motiv", "name": "S&T Motiv (formerly Daewoo Precision Industries)", "countryCode": "KR", "foundedYear": 1981, "website": "https://www.sntmotiv.com", "logoUrl": null, "description": null, "status": null, "defunctYear": null, "stateOwned": null, "makesFirearms": null, "parentId": null, "predecessorId": null, "createdAt": "2026-02-11 23:44:38", "updatedAt": "2026-02-18 03:43:46", "version": "9db0b6bd86b8c9a1e686c470d1c6a21f813dddaec277f9be6ca224566aa0099d" }, "category": { "id": "assault-rifle", "name": "Assault Rifle", "description": "Selective-fire rifles chambered in intermediate cartridges" }, "country_of_origin": "KR", "year_introduced": 2012, "barrel_length_mm": 310, "weight_empty_g": 3300, "action_type": "gas_operated_long_stroke"}